CAMPFIRE CUPCAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line two muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, 1 cup milk and oil. With an electric hand mixer, blend at low speed for 30 seconds to moisten, then beat at medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes.
• Divide batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling each to about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat butter with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat until completely combined. Beat in vanilla and salt. Beat in the remaining 1/3 cup milk, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
• Divide the vanilla buttercream frosting between three bowls. Dye one bowl red, one yellow, and one orange. Fit a large pastry bag with a star tip and fill with frosting, alternating between colors. Pipe the swirled buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes to look like fire.
• Skewer three mini marshmallows on a small wooden skewer and repeat to make 24. If available, use a kitchen torch or a gas stovetop burner to carefully roast the marshmallows.
• Place three or four pretzel rods around the “fire” to look like firewood and top with the marshmallow sticks.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° and line two cupcake pans with cupcake lines. Prepare cake batter according to package instructions and divide between cupcake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cupcakes cool completely. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat until combined, then add vanilla, heavy cream, and salt and beat until combined. Divide buttercream between two bowls and dye one bowl of buttercream orange and the other yellow. Alternating between orange and yellow, fill a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe swirled buttercream onto each cupcake. To decorate, arrange pretzel sticks, standing up, around the buttercream to look like sticks in a bonfire. Skewer two mini marshmallows onto each toothpick and stick a toothpick into each cupcake. Serve immediately.